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. DICK WELLES. JtDespite bis crushing defeat in the Kenwood Stakes no one who has seen him run will doubt for a moment that Dick Welles is not far from being the best two-year-old that has shown in the west so far this year. Big enough and fashioned in the mould to carry any weight, gifted with a high order of speed and at home on a muddy track or a dry track, he is a youngster that any turfman could well deem himself fortunate in owning. Upto date Dick Welles has started in five races, has won three, been second once and third once. His first start was in a half mile dash at Harlem, June 14, in which he ran third to The Don and Foxy Kane, with Bay Wonder, Stem Winder, Mai-lory and five others behind him. It was a muddy track and the colt was coming very fast at the finish after having made up much ground from a poor send-off. At the same track, June 18, he won at four and a half furlongs in such remarkably fast time as 53 seconds, defeating Pluck, Americano, Alice Cary and eight others. Before the race J. B. Bespess had purchased him for ,500 and a share of such stakes as he might win at Washington Park. After the colts grand display of speed in this case Bespess was voted a lucky man by other owners. His next start was at Washington Park, June 26. The track was slow, yet he ran four and one-half furlongs in 55 seconds, winning by five lengths from such cracks as J. Sidney Walker, Foxy Kane, Von Bouse and four others not so noted. This notable achievement he followed up by defeating Topsoil, Linguist, Goodman, Horatius and three others at five furlongs over a very heavy track. He won by ten lengths in such impressive fashion that he was at once voted the wonder of the year and Bespess was the recipient of several offers at a heavy advance over the price he had paid for the colt. The reputation his three successive victories had given him was somewhat dimmed by his unexpected defeat in the Kenwood Stakes last Tuesday. The circumstances of that race are too fresh in the minds of local patrons of racing to bear recapitulation here. It is more than probable that he waa simply unlucky rather than that Tom Cogan is his superior. His portrait in this issue is a correct presentation of the outlines of a young horse that is probably destined to an illustrious career. x
